Hundreds Donate To Aid Bettis

September 28, 1985|By Jonathon King, Staff Writer

The letters, hundreds of them, have come from as far south as Key West and as far north as Lantana.

Some are from people who drive the same Florida`s Turnpike route where Darrell Bettis was critically wounded as he drove home from work last March. Some of the letters are from people angered by the cruelty of the random shooting. Some are heartsick that the life of an innocent young man was so terribly altered by a senseless act.

``There is still a lot of love in the world. Keep up your courage and strength. I am pulling for you,`` wrote a Fort Lauderdale woman. She included a $15 contribution.

Bettis` sister, Evelyn LaRocca, has a bag of similar letters, all of which contained contributions from $1 to $500 to the Darrell Bettis Benefit Fund.

More than $17,000 has been donated from individuals and corporations to the special fund set up at the Barnett Bank in the Kendall section of southern Dade.

``You know, you see so many negative stories in the paper and tales of greed and corruption, and it tends to overshadow the good people that are out there,`` said Darrell`s father, Irwin Bettis.

Most of the letters have been read to Bettis. He still finds it hard to understand the gestures or how to respond.

``These are people I never met -- strangers,`` he said. ``Before this happened, I never thought I needed help from anyone. All I can say is thank you.``

The financial burden on the uninsured construction worker and his family continues to mount.

According to Dr. Samir Ayyash, a rehabilitation program such as the one Bettis is undergoing at Jackson Memorial Hospital can cost upwards of $80,000.

Bettis` bills at American Hospital, where he was taken after the shooting, are more than $50,000. Ayyash said continuing rehabilitation, carried on while Bettis, 26, is living at home, will cost the family $18,000 a year for five years.